Some of Caerphilly’s most famous faces, including football star Aaron Ramsey and comedy legend Tommy Cooper, will be immortalised in a new sculpture at the revamped Dafydd Williams Park.
The park, near Caerphilly Castle, is undergoing a major facelift as part of the Caerphilly 2035 regeneration project.
The improvements include upgraded entrances and street lighting, new children’s play equipment, attractive seating areas, and a series of new artworks celebrating the town’s heritage and culture.
The works, announced last October, are set to be completed this month. The plans were developed following consultations and site visits by residents, schoolchildren and business owners.
Residents involved in the consultations emphasised the importance of heritage, storytelling and art, as well as their pride in local people who had gone on to become household names.
People also said they wanted the park to “feel more connected to the town”.
‘Spark a curiosity’
Former Welsh football captain Ramsey and legendary comic Cooper will be joined on the new sculpture by Amy Dowden, of Strictly Come Dancing, and Evan James – who wrote the lyrics to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, Wales’ national anthem.
The bronze ‘relief map’ sculpture, which will sit in the centre of the park, is designed to reflect the town’s history and culture.
Its sculptor, Sebastian Boyesen, said: “Who better to guide people around the newly redeveloped park than the most well-known figures associated with the town?
“I hope that the little references to the town’s historical figures and folklore will spark a curiosity about Caerphilly. I’ve tried to make this interesting to children, who might ask questions and want to learn more about the characters.”
Mr Boyesen was also behind ‘The Guardian’ – a memorial commemorating the 50th anniversary of a major pit disaster at the Six Bells Colliery in Abertillery.
His work is the first in a series of art pieces being commissioned for Dafydd Williams Park. Ongl Studios, the team of Caerphilly-based designers Sarah McCall-Morgan and Dan Morgan, will also have work featured.
“Our connection to the project is both personal and professional,” said Ms McCall-Morgan. “We live and work in Caerphilly, and our home is just a stone’s throw from Caerphilly Miners Centre.”
Mr Morgan said: “The park line is a path we travel regularly as a family because our five-year-old son attends a local school and a local after-school club.
“This gives us firsthand insight into its rhythms, users, current limitations, and the potential it holds as a connective public space between Crescent Road and Cardiff Road.”
A spokesperson for Caerphilly County Borough Council, which is behind the Caerphilly 2035 project, said the new additions to the park “wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of the placemaking team and our fantastic collaborators”.
They added: “We look forward to unveiling several new and exciting art pieces, including the wonderful town relief map to the public very soon.”
Caerphilly 2035 also includes the nearby Ffos Caerffili market, as well as new homes in Pentrebane Street and proposals for a redevelopment of the town’s bus and railway stations.
Stockland and Windsor Squares have also been also revamped, with greater prominence given to the bird sculptures first installed there in the 1990s.
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